The present disclosure relates to tools used in the field of dentistry and, more particularly, to dental dispensing tips used to deliver dental solutions to a tooth surface.
In the field of dentistry, various dental medicaments and solutions are applied to the teeth of a patient as part of routine dental cleaning, preparation, and restorative processes. During dental cleaning processes, for example, fluoride is often applied to teeth to prevent tooth decay, wherein the fluoride hardens the enamel tooth surface by forming calcium fluoride. One method of applying fluoride to teeth is by dispensing a fluoride gel composition into a dental tray and subsequently placing the dental tray over the teeth of the patient. The tray holds the fluoride gel composition adjacent to the teeth and, after a desired amount of time, the dental tray is removed and the remaining fluoride gel composition is then rinsed off the teeth.
Another method involves the direct application of a fluoride varnish to the teeth of a patient. Fluoride varnish typically includes a mixture of fluoride salt dispersed within a sticky, adhesive hydrophobic varnish material. The fluoride varnish is usually stored within a dedicated cup or tray that can be accessed by the dental practitioner. The dental practitioner dips a brushed dental applicator or “dental brush” into the cup or tray and brushes the fluoride varnish onto the teeth. Once applied, the fluoride varnish adheres to the teeth and subsequently erodes away after several hours.
Today, there are various dental dispensing tips having brush applicators that can be used to deliver dental solutions to the teeth of a patient. For example, combination applicator and syringe dental dispensing tips often include an associated brush applicator disposed on its distal end. However, current dental dispensing tips are unable to adequately dispense high-viscosity liquid dental solutions due to the resulting high capillary action of the dental solutions. More specifically, the bristles of conventional brush applicators are usually formed through known flocking methods, such as electrostatic flocking or gravity flocking. Flocked brush applicators, however, tend to introduce bubbles into high-viscosity dental solutions as the dental solution is expressed through the bristles. Alternatively, other methods of manufacturing the brush applicators do not allow an adequate amount of brush bristles to be available to spread the dental solution and are therefore ineffective.